Sotheby's Prize 2018: $250,000 Grant for Experimental Museum Projects

Sotheby's has launched the 2018 edition of its Sotheby's Prize, offering a $250,000 grant to museums, institutions, curators, and directors worldwide for innovative and experimental exhibition projects. The deadline for applications is June 30. The prize aims to support ambitious, risk-taking ideas that challenge the current trend of museums focusing on blockbuster shows featuring well-known artists. Applicants must submit a project summary, timeline, budget, and a letter of support from their institution's director. The jury includes Sir Nicholas Serota (former director of Whitechapel Art Gallery and Tate), Connie Butler (curator at Hammer Museum, Los Angeles), Okwui Enwezor (director of Haus der Kunst, Munich), and Donna de Salvo (senior curator at Whitney Museum of American Art, New York), chaired by Allan Schwartzman, President of Sotheby's Fine Art Division. The jury will convene in September to evaluate proposals based on feasibility, timeline, budget, and loans. Schwartzman expressed hope for increased participation from Asia, Africa, and South America, while Butler noted interest in proposals covering modern art from the 19th and early 20th centuries, not just contemporary. The inaugural 2017 edition received over 90 applications from around the world, with winners including the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago and the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University.